Shop Made Air Filtration System

UP-UPDATE – The unit is working fabulous. The filters are, all three dirty, yes-sah, I will take a pic and add soon.

UPDATE – I found out today that the exit filtret was too close to the fan and causing some air to be forced back into the unit…so I added 5” in front of fan, 3M filtret is NOW 5” from the blades and improved dramatically the inbound air pressure. SEE NEW PICS

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Nice work. I have a concern about the “fine” filter on the outbound air. I think you will have dust collecting on the fan blaces and the motor. It would be better to use both filters on the air intake side. I have a similar one made using a used house furnace blower (squirrel cage). I use a coarse filter with a fine one behind it on the intake side. I get no dust build up on the motor or squirrel cage fins.
The whole thing is built into a floor cabinet on wheels that also serves as a sharpening station and also has some storage. The exhaust air blows across my wood stove and circulates the heat.

@ LesB, Thanks, I’ll keep an eye on the mechanics as it does it’s business, good looking out.@scrimman, thanks too, I think it’ll produce a pull on the side ports, I tested it with tissue and it grabbed it right out of the air and stuck to the inbound filter. I MAY add a traingular semi-divider at the back to create a swirl or vortex type thing kinda like ”<” that, with the two intakes on either side of the ”<” against the boarded back

Nice build. I like the use of the attic fan because it’s rated for continuous duty. You might check out the string of comments on this project: http://lumberjocks.com/projects/71850 regarding filtration.

-- Matt CueBall Rosendaul. I don't think I've ever had a cup of coffee that didn't have cat hair or sawdust in it.

Hmm. good comments. I haven’t had a run at this system yet, working full bore in my shop…sanding, milling, routing, making all that mad dust that gets all over every-freaking-thing. Don’t you hate the dusting effect on absolutely everything in your shop…I can’t figure out how these guys with these bad ass shops that look spotless, I mean spotless, how do they keep it that way?I spend 10-15 mins. EVERY end of the day vacuuming. Sometimes there is some sawdust and debris, and other times there is nothing, but I do the whole shop regardless…I HATE dusty surroundings.

I hate dust in my shop also, especially because I am allergic to it.I hate dust on my tools but even more so I hate dust in my lungs.I realized a while ago that when you have a shop you always do one of two things: make a mess or clean a mess.That’s about it. I also noticed that it goes faster and much easier to make the mess that to clean it.I want to build a air filter for a long time but I have no idea where to put it.When I build one I would use an Hepa filter that I can get free at work.

I really like your design and execution … my 20” box fan’s days are numbered. When I need to really clean before finishing, I open the big door, sweep, vacuume, blow with compressed air and clear with the leaf blower. (Wife won’t let me dust the house … darn).I think your idea of the triangle on the back wall might increase the airflow a tiny bit but it will elliminate the “dead space” eddy that square corners will cause.

Thanks everyone!We’ll see how it works out, in time.The sides are the intakes, and the one 3M filtret is the exhaust, just clarifying…I think I will add the top to bottom vertical ”<” inside, to create a kind of smoother ride for the air to travel on, ha.I’ll post results as they are produced, thanks again all.

UPDATE – I found out today that the exit filtret was too close to the fan and causing some air to be forced back into the unit…so I added 5” in front of fan, 3M filtret is NOW 5” from the blades and improved dramatically the inbound air pressure. SEE NEW PICS